Man sucker-punched his girlfriend in the face several times after she smashed up his kitchen

A MAN sucker-punched his partner in the face several times after she smashed up his kitchen.

Bryan Russell admitted seizing a woman by the neck and hair, as well as repeatedly punching her on the head to her injury at his home address on October 1 last year.

On Thursday, fiscal depute Matthew Kerr told Alloa Sheriff Court that the accused and complainer had been in a relationship for around five years at the time of the incident.

At about 10.30pm the couple were in the bedroom arguing about money.

During the dispute, 37-year-old Russell placed his hands around his now ex-girlfriend's neck and threatened: "I'm going to kill you."

When the argument came to an end, the couple returned to the living room to continue drinking alcohol.

Later on, the accused approached the complainer on the couch and grabbed her by the hair. He then punched her on the face four or five times, causing blood to gush from her nose and mouth.

The police were called and the accused was thereafter arrested.

The fiscal reported that the complainer suffered bruising to her chin, upper left arm and numerous areas across her legs and body. At the time there was a query that she may have suffered a hairline fracture to her jaw, but it was not confirmed.

Defending, Mr McFarlane claimed that the relationship was highly volatile and there was "give or take on both sides".

He explained that Russell's attack was in reaction to the complainer having smashed up and caused a lot of damage to his kitchen.

Mr McFarlane also stated that the complainer put his client in hospital prior to this assault by smashing a bottle over his head.

He said: "This was an emotionally charged end to a relationship."

Russell, of Gean Road in Alloa, was said to be ashamed of his alcohol misuse which lessened his memory of the attack.

Sheriff David Mackie was unimpressed with the accused's seemingly "absolute state of denial" recorded in the Criminal Justice Social Work report.

Mr McFarlane claimed that his client couldn't remember what happened, which appeared like denial in the report, however Russell was said to have accepted that he caused the injuries.

Sheriff David Mackie told the accused: "The biggest problem here is that you're not facing up yet to what you have done."

The sheriff highlighted his concern for any future partner of Russell. Reluctantly, he sentenced the accused to a Community Payback Order with supervision for 18 months and 225 hours of unpaid work to be completed within six months.

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